i'm here...i'm queer...and, i forgot the rest but you know because you gay!

[123Jason]

One thing I've always cherished about this industry and the people in it is that I've never had to hide anything about who I am, particularly when it comes to my sexual identity. In fact, when I was first hired way back when, the fact that I am gay was an asset. Although it has helped in many aspects of this business, there were also many times when I felt like the token fag. There was never an intentional placement of me in that role, simply a bunch of straight guys trying to produce gay content and looking to a gay man for advice. However, this begs the questions...

How effective do you think straight people can be at producing gay content and gay people at producing straight content? Should sexuality even be an issue as the matter is one of business? As a client, purchasing or promoting gay sites...are you more comfortable and confident in the product if it's coming from a gay person?

I'm always the one to bring this shit up. And I know I'm gonna get on a few nerves, but c'est la vie. I'm always curious as to the wide array of perspectives we have the ability to tap here.

[Ounique]

I think if you have an interest in a particular niche or subject, you will have a much easier time relating to your members and, therefore, make better sites. But that does not mean that you cannot take the time to learn about the type of people who would go to a site you want to build. It just takes more effort and an open mind. If you are straight and homophobic, then you may have a real problem building a gay site. Along the same vein, if you are gay and misogynistic, building a straight site might be hard as well. But I see no reason why an open minded person can't take the time to learn enough to build a site that is out of your interest/experience range and succeed at it.

[timothyb]

If you run a big sponsor program with a lot of sites and you have a few of them that are gay sites, it makes sense to hire a gay person to maintain and market them.

If you are not gay and you want to run a gay site, DO SOME RESEARCH. Check out the gay resource sites, webmaster boards and see what else is going on outside of the straight niche .... An open mind is crucial... You'd be surprise how many people who work in porn are homophobic and cringe at the site of one penis. Once quick browse through gfy.com will show you that.









Gay Traffic Trading Portal (http://www.gaytraffiq.com)

[Panky]

I'd like to think that people who are straight could produce gay content or run a gay paysite, or vice versa, if they took the time to research and be amongst the other side.

On the other hand, I'm not so sure that this would work to the best of everyones abilities. I look at things this way. If I ran a paysite, for example, and have gay and lesbian content, I would prefer the people running that department to be gay and lesbian people.

My thinking is that only gay and lesbian people truly know what makes a gay or lesbian person tick. What it is that really excites them. In a sense, I would feel unqualified because I'm straight. Even though I have gay and lesbian friends and socialize with them, I'm still straight. It doesn't mean I couldn't learn and have good ideas to share and help make decisions, but I'd still rather take second chair and let the experts take over.

It's kind of like a man developing a new product, creating an ad campaign, or answering questions for feminine hygiene products. Sure a man can learn and have a basic understanding of these products, but only a woman knows what she likes, dislikes, and what it is like to actually use these products.

Womens magazines have the majority of articles and subject matter written for and by women. Why? Because women understand women and can write articles and stories that appeal to women. The same holds true for mens magazines. Men can write articles and stories that appeal to men because they are men and they know "men".

It doesn't mean men can't write for a womans magazine or vice versa, but they may not be as effective.

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